Graduate Contact Information and FAQs

To request a viewbook, complete this form and we’ll mail one to you.

You can schedule a virtual appointment or phone appointment with an admissions counselor and discuss your portfolio. To schedule, see our admissions portal or call 310.665.6820.

Letters of recommendation are not required with your application, but you have the option to submit them with your application materials.

You have to be enrolled as a full-time student in order to receive any merit-based scholarships or financial aid. This would mean maintaining a schedule of at least 12 credits.

While there isn’t a specific deadline to be considered for merit scholarships, funds are limited so we recommend that you submit your application for admission by the Priority Deadline January 15th. U.S. Citizens and permanent residents that would like to be considered for financial aid will also need to submit the FAFSA at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa using school code 001251.

We do not offer on-campus housing for Grad students. However, we do have a partnership with Park West Apartments, an apartment complex across the street from our campus. Graduate students are eligible to apply for housing at Park West by submitting the $150 housing application fee when they deposit.

We do not offer full tuition scholarships. U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents can apply for federal financial aid by submitting the FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov. The merit scholarships at Otis range from $5,000 to about 50% of tuition costs and are based on a holistic review of the student’s application. In addition, continuing students are eligible to apply for Donor scholarships for their second year at Otis.

Your application will be judged by the merit of your portfolio, regardless of your prior major or field of study. You must, however, have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university to be considered.

Unfortunately due to limited space, admitted MFA Fine Arts students are not permitted to defer acceptance. Admitted students to the MFA Graphic Design program are permitted to defer their acceptance for up to, and no less than, one year, upon approval of the department. To defer your acceptance, email gradadmissions@otis.edu.

No, our program is interdisciplinary and students are encouraged to explore across mediums and take advantage of various facilities while they are here.

Students may apply for a TA position while at Otis. Students are guaranteed at least one semester as a TA, and often are able to be a TA multiple times. The TA job requirements vary, but do not exceed 3 hours per week.